“We are growing accustomed to violence, resigning ourselves to it, and becoming indifferent, indifferent to the deaths of thousands of people,” the pope said in his address.
“Let those who have weapons lay them down. Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace.”
In a break with recent tradition, Leo did not explicitly name any country or conflict in his message.
He paid tribute to his predecessor, Pope Francis, who gave his final address on Easter Sunday last year hours before his death.
Referring to the Easter story of Christ’s resurrection, three days after he was nailed to the cross, he said Jesus had been “entirely nonviolent” in the face of suffering.
For Christians, Easter is the most important date in the liturgical calendar, marking the resurrection of Christ – a central tenet of the faith.